Barber of Hell’s Bottom

In Hell

Your New Spot for Haircuts and Shaves

The Rat Pack. They’re a tough act to follow. After all, you probably can’t get their singing voices. Or
their purported mafia connections.

But their haircuts. You can get those. In a barber chair they once frequented, no less.

And you’ll find this artifact of Americana at the Barber of Hell’s Bottom, open as of today
near 9th Street.

So yes, that’s actually the name. It turns out that in the 1800s, when it was a good bit rougher, this
section of Shaw was called Hell’s Bottom.

Inside, there’s little danger to be found. Not from hellish things (on the contrary, there’s even a
couple reclaimed church pews when you walk in). Not even from the Sweeney Todd–type things, like straight
razors.

No, those are all wielded by experts, who plied their trade at places like Immortal Beloved in Logan Circle
before coming here. For haircuts, they’ll be manning seven new chairs in the main room, with its whitewashed brick and Mexican-tile floors.

But if you’re looking to put a razor to your face, you’ll head for the smaller room, where you’ll find
a circa-1929 chair that once made its home at the Vernon Hills Country Club outside New York, where the
likes of Sam Snead, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis used to take a seat.